While thinking and writing about play, I feel I am in good company lately. The New York Times Magazine (May 3rd) featured an article called "Kindergarten Cram: Toss out the No. 2 pencils and let them Play". The buzz is coming from the Alliance for Childhood's March 2009 publication called "Crisis in the Kindergarten" which provides evidence of the disappearance of play from kindergartens and all the reasons why we should bring it back. Visit their website and read the 75 page report if you have the time and interest.
For children to experience the benefits of timelessness in the flow of healthy play, it requires a certain attitude and presence from the adults around them, usually an unobtrusive presence, one we might not be practiced in. Let's explore our personal relationship to play and stay open to what we may discover.
What is your most memorable moment of play from your early childhood?
Where were you (indoors or outdoors)?
Where were the adults (if you can remember)?
How much time does your child experience self-initiated play on a typical day?
What do you do while your child plays?
Can you hold yourself back from speaking (judging, interrupting, praising, etc.)?
What do you say when you do engage with your child?
Do you ask her to explain herself, to come out of the flow of play (breaking her focus) for your sake so you can understand or add your opinion?
Are you comfortable with the messiness and trial and error process of play or do you feel the need to guide it in a direction that has meaning for you?
Do you trust your child's innate wisdom, timetable, and the ability to work through life's events and challenges through play?
Is it possible for you to enjoy this phase of learning through imitation and developing imagination or are you looking forward to when the "real" learning will begin?
Is it your job to entertain your child or do you see it as a valid goal for your child to learn to occupy his or herself in play?
If you learned something new about play from reading the last two blogs, write it down or share it with someone to claim that learning. (Teaching is the best way to learn something). Feel free to pass this blog onto people in your contacts list and see if you can rediscover the spirit of play in your busy days, blurring the lines between work and play.
